“Have you met Rosalia before? You seemed to recognise her this afternoon,” I asked her to avoid Natalie.
“Yeah, I bumped into her the other day,” she said.
“What did she say?”
“Nothing much. Just girl talk I guess.”
*******************************
CHAPTER 24
ROSALIA’S POV
I looked up the ceiling of my room.
Helio’s room was next to mine.
I knew he needed to clean up and have some time to himself to process the mornings events but I had to talk to him now.
We had to be prepared for tomorrow.
I knocked on the door to his room.
He sat down on his bed shirtless and adjusting one of the bandages around his torso.
I caught the pain medication on his bedside table.
At the sight of his bare torso my mouth fell open.
His large muscular frame was riddled in scars that resembled claw marks.
What the hell had this man gone through?
The daunting image of him standing over Lorenzo’s body came to mind.
“Rosalia.” Helio said as he turned to look at me.
I was worried he would catch me staring.
I folded my arms and my eyes met his golden ones.
“Is something wrong?” He asked.
“I don’t trust you and I wont forgive you for what you did to me…” I started.
“Alright,” he shrugged.
“And just so we’re clear if you ever pull a stunt like you did at the wedding I will kill you!” I snapped and pointed at him.
He looked down at my finger, then studied my face.
I doubt I could kill Helio.
I wondered if I could even land a punch.
I was just making a point.
“That aside we have to have to work together. Because I’ve revealed my ability, I’m in trouble. But with Salvador’s power I can protect myself and you will be able to protect Mara. We both get what we want.” I told him.
I think we should talk about the coming succession meeting.”
“Salvador isn’t going to accept a wolfless Alpha not to mention I just fucked up Lorenzo’s deal with Mendez,” he told me.
“For both of our sakes you have to become Alpha,” I laid out.
“Look I’m not going to lie, I don’t want to be Alpha. I wanted to leave Salvador one day…” he said.
“…But I’m willing to step up to the plate if I have to. However, I don’t know how to run a pack. I’m not educated and a bastard,” he continued.
“Don’t worry about that. What’s important is that you are the former Alphas’ son, even if you’re illegitimate. Unless of course you and Lorenzo have a male cousin or something.”
“No, we don’t,” he confirmed.
“You said you don’t have an education. How bad are we talking?”
“I can read and write
“Okay, that can work,” I told him.
It wouldn’t be easy but at least we were starting from somewhere.
“I also think we should lay some ground rules about this bond of ours is going to work.”
His eyebrows sprung up.
“What do have in mind?” He then to the closet and picked out a shirt.
“If we want to survive, we have to work together and we have to be close.”
“How close?” he asked as he struggled to put on a shirt due to his injuries.
I closed the distance between us and helped him slip on the shirt.
He looked down at me in surprise but allowed me to help.
“Very close.” I said.
My hands held the two sides of his shirt and looked up him.
Our eyes locked and a moment of silence ensued between us.
Up close I realised its not that he doesn’t have a scent.
Its that it was so feint you could easily miss it when mixed with other scents in the environment.
It was a woody calming scent.
Helio’s gaze then went down to my hands.
“Okay,” he slowly said.
“To convince this pack that you deserve to be Alpha we have to look like a unit. That includes looking like a loving couple. Because of the prophecy and how much they want to use my power they should overlook .”
“Won’t they find it suspicious since you were about to get married to Alpha Ramirez just last week?”
“It’s better we appear united despite that,” I told him.
“Still, wouldn’t it be safer for you to lean into that if you have to?” He insisted.
“We won’t interfere with each others personal lives. I don’t expect any love from you so you can do whatever and vice versa, the important thing is to do it with discretion. Sounds good?” I asked.
He scoffed.
“Fair enough,” he accepted the terms.
“You don’t have to worry about that kind of thing with me. But I do have one condition of my own.”
“Go on,” I told him.
“You clearly know more about politics than me and that’s fine. I’ll go along with your plan. But if anything ever goes wrong or we’re in danger, Mara and her safety will become my top priority.”
I searched his eyes which had suddenly darkened and become serious.
I pitied the person who ever threatened Mara.
“Fine.” I agreed.
“And I’ll prioritise myself if I have to as well.”
There was a moment of silence between us.
My biggest problem will be controlling Helio’s impulsiveness.
At the very least if Mara is safe it should keep him from creating other political incidents.
“Good, I’ll see you at the meeting with the Temple priest and we’ll discuss the rest afterward,” I told him.
I turned away and made my way to the door.
“Rosalia wait,” he suddenly called me.
I stopped and faced him once more.
“What?”
He studied my face for a moment.
“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m—” He started then suddenly paused.
“What?” I asked.
He searched my eyes as he struggled to explain.
“Sorry, Never mind,” he said.
My eyebrows furrowed.
What was that about?
I shrugged it off and left his room.